McQueen, Cuaron, Greengrass first-time DGA nominees

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows Chiwetel Ejiofor, center, in a scene from the film, "12 Years A Slave." The film was nominated for a Directors Guild award on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. The winners will be announced on Jan. 25. (AP Photo/Fox Searchlight, Jaap Buitendijk)

This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort in a scene from "The Wolf of Wall Street." The film was nominated for a Directors Guild award on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. The winners will be announced on Jan. 25. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Mary Cybulski)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Steve McQueen has gained his first directors guild nomination for his grimly historic saga “12 Years a Slave,” substantiating the British director’s place as a top contender at the Academy Awards.

Other first-time nominees announced on Tuesday were Alfonso Cuaron for his lost-in-space odyssey “Gravity” and Paul Greengrass for his Somali pirate thriller “Captain Phillips.”

Past nominee David O. Russell also received a bid for his con-artist tale “American Hustle.”